PALFINGER selected as supplier for new Viking Cruises expedition vessels

PALFINGER MARINE is to supply an extensive package of lifting and handling solutions to two new cruise expedition vessels in the Viking Expeditions fleet. One of their most characteristic features will be a 26-meter-long slipway system allowing passengers to embark and disembark the vessels by boat.

Both vessels, named Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, are going to be Polar Class 6-compliant, meaning they will be capable of sailing in icy, polar waters in summer and autumn. They will accommodate 378 guests in 189 staterooms. With a length of more than 200 meters and a beam of around 23 meters, they will count among the world’s largest expedition vessels. The ships, built by VARD Group, are both scheduled for launch in 2022.

Each vessel will be equipped with a wide range of PALFINGER products. The scope of delivery includes 

•    Shell doors
•    Mooring observation platforms
•    Equipment and waste lifts
•    Provision side-loading system
•    Launch and recovery systems for submarines and rigid inflatable boats (RIB)
•    Transport systems for submarines
•    Slipway systems for RIBs

‘We started working on this project in 2018. It has been a great pleasure to cooperate closely with the skilled staff from both Viking Cruises and VARD Group. Together, we are able to meet the demanding requirements and supply tailor-made equipment that will give future passengers a once-in-a-lifetime experience’, affirms Sverre Mowinckel-Nilsen, Sales Director for Offshore Lifting and Handling Solutions at PALFINGER.

Safe embarkation in The Hangar
A series of bold and thoughtful innovations are designed to appeal to the line’s niche audience. Among several adaptations will be an enclosed, in-ship marina, called The Hangar, which will allow guests to embark on inflatable boats from a stable surface inside the ship, protecting them from winds and waves. 

For The Hangar, PALFINGER will deliver a range of innovative equipment, which has been designed in close cooperation with Viking Cruises and VARD. A 26-meter-long slipway will enable safe launch and recovery of RIBs with passengers on board. Another innovative solution is the internal transport system, used for moving submarines (starboard side and port side) from their berths to the launch and recovery area. On each side of The Hangar (starboard side and port side), a PALFINGER launch and recovery system for both submarines and RIBs will be installed. These systems will be accompanied by a main winch with a safe working load (SWL) of 13 tonnes as well as a telescopic crane section with a SWL of 1 tonne.  

Header image copyright: Viking Cruises